NIAS Repository

Thomas, Christopher

THE STATESMAN / , T) e ( /^{ 
Fathers of 
the bomb 
CHRISTOPHER THOMAS on the brains 
that turned a bullock-cart nation into 
a nuclear regional power 
TiJE men who made India a nuclear power are as fission is to thermonuclear: different, but aiming for the same result. One 
is a Cambridge man whose artistic bent lends itself to producing 
personal drawings for his Christinas cards. The other is rooted in 
the chaotic, underfunded talent of Indian universities. 
There is a third key member of tho nucleophile elite: a fine ama-
teur pianist who drifts in and out of retirement, a man who 
embodies India's surging pride and nationalism. He is a living 
statement of India's transition from bullock-cart technology to 
nukes, somebody whose Bach and Beethoven are almost as 
famous as his contribution to the ultimate statement of power. 
The man who started it all is immortalised in the name of the 
institute that helps to design today's bombs: the Bhabha Atomic 
Research Centre in Bombay. Horni Jehangir Bhabha's entry in 
India's Who Was Who is a litany of achievements, starting at 
Cambridge in 1030 and continuing until his death in a plane crash 
in 1906, aged 50. 
He was a Parsoe, one of that small band of high achievers who 
will soon cease to exist in India because their ambition takes so 
many of them abroad. No other Indian physicist has achieved such 
international acclaim. Ho built an ultra-modem laboratory beside 
Bombay harbour for nuclear research; as a friend of Jawaharlal 
Nehru, there was nothing he could not demand. Nehru was 
obsessed with technology: Bhabha was his doorway to it. 
With British financial aid, Bhabha built a low-power research 
reactor, and with Canadian technical and financial assistance he 
constructed a near-duplicate of a Canadian reactor. India even 
started producing plulonium — about 10 kg a year. The scene was 
thus set for tho Hiroshima-type fission explosion of 1974 and, ulti-
mately, for last week's sophisticated blasts that tested the most 
modern nuclear weapons: thermonuclear, fission and low-yield. 
Canada funded India's first nuclear power station: three per cent 
of Indian power output now comes from nuclear energy, and there 
is talk of building more nuclear plants to reduce an overwherrning 
dependency on coal. The West thus led India to nuclear know-
how, encouraging, financing and abetting the very knowledge it 
now seeks to control. Bhabha opposed allowing safety inspections 
of nuclear power plants by the International Atomic Energy 
Authority, insisting that India did not need outsiders to toll it how 
to play safe. 
Tho next big leap in nuclear knowledge was the work of a man 
whoso patriotism is stamped on his forehead, his hatred of per-
ceived Western double-standards a pet theme: Raja Ramanna, 73, 
has continued to lend his talents to the nuclear programme on and 
off since retiring in 1987 as chairman of the Atomic Energy 
Commission. He spends much time at the piano, enjoying critical 
acclaim. 
R Chidambaram, current head of the commission, is a home-
grown Hindu whose international reputation approaches that of 
Bhabha. The International Atomic Energy Agency elected him its 
chairman in 1994 and he was the guiding force behind drafting the 
Convention on Nuclear Safety, adopted in its entirety by 84 coun-
tries that voar..,.i;i ri',- '. ••! -i ••!,.•..: ! , •.'.. 
Ho is a product of Madras University limn tho 1950s, "100 per 
cent indigenous", as a follow physicist observed. The bespectacled 
and gonial Mr Chidambaram does not go in for foreigner-bashing: 
his mission has been the peaceful application of nuclear energy, a 
concept forgotten this week. — The Times, London 


Fathers of the Bomb

7>eccAH Vre&*0> 
Area-specific use of science 
and technology stressed 
DH News Service 
BANGALORE, Jan 28 
Speakers at a three-day interna-
tional symposium on "Science in 
society: a new social contract" 
strongly recommended the in-
volvement of local people and 
area-specific utilisation of science 
and technology for sustainable de-
velopment. 
On the second day of the sympo-
sium today, the speakers, drawn 
from various fields, of social 
sciences and pure sciences, point-
ed out that the efficacy of scien-
tific research was best judged by 
the society and said science and 
technology should be in harmony 
with the social needs of the people. 
The symposium is being 
organised by the National Insti-
tute of Advanced Studies (Nias) in 
the run-up to the Unesco-convened 
World Conference ' on Science 
(WCS) in Budapest in June this 
year. 
The symposium has been 
sponsored by Unesco, the Depart-
ment of Education "and Science 
and Technology and' will submit 
recommendations and also suggest 
amendments to the "Draft declar-
ation on Science and the use of 
scientific knowledge" to be adopt-
ed by the WSC. 
Eminent sociologist and the JRD 
Tata Chair at the sociology and so-
cial anthropology section at the 
Nias M N Srinivas said that politi-
cal ideology in the country had 
played a major role in "develop-
ment and in limiting develop-
ment." 
Moderating a session on "Tech-
nology development and poverty 
elimination," he said over the 
years licence raj and corruption 
had hampered development in the 
nation. He stressed the import-
ance of using science and technol-
ogy at the grass root level with the 
involvement of the local people. 
The other speakers at the 
session, Prof Zeqi Qui from Peking 
University, China and sociologist 
Dr Yogesh Atal said it was impor-
tant to consider how the society 
responds to the implementation of 
technology for growth. 
They also pointed out that the 
relationship between illiteracy 
and poverty was not as straight-
forward as it seemed. 


Area-specific Use of Science and Technology Stressed

*, *

National Aerospace Laboratories 
T h e I n f o r m a t i o n P a s t e b o a r d 
NAL signs MoU with Genser Aviation 
NAL and Genser Aviation signed, 
onWednesdayll November 1998, 
an enabling memorandum of 
understanding (MoU) which will 
allow Genser to be NAL's partner 
in a wide variety of aerospace 
technology marketing exercises. At 
the brief function to sign the MoU, 
Dr T S Prahlad, Director, spoke of 
the need for NAL to forge 
partnerships with professionals 
"who understand the name of the 
game" in marketing aerospace 
technologies, products and design 
services. Dr B R Somashekar, 
Director,NALTECHhopedthatthe 
alliance would lead to "successful 
contacts and contracts". Mr 
ArunakarMishra,Chief Executive, 
Genser, made a brief presentation 
on Genser’s initiative to "bring in 
opportunities and provide all-
round support to Indian aviation". 
Among those who witnessed the 
MoU signing were Wg Cdr I M 
Chopra, Former Chairman, HAL, 
who has agreed to be an adviser to 
Genser. 
P K Panda's distinction 
Mr P K Panda, Scientist, Materials 
Science Division has been selected 
forthe YoungEngineer Award 1998 
of the Indian National Academy of 
Engineering. Earlier this year Mr 
Panda was also the recipient of the 
1997 NAL Young Scientist Award. 
The Information'Paste-
boardreportsonNALactivity 
every week. 
(IP322/9-15 November 1998) 
Bangalore IT.com'98: Explaining the success of the Silicon Valley 
In 1979, as a graduate 
student at Berkeley and one of 
the first scholars to study Silicon 
Valley, AnnaLee Saxenlan, now 
Professor at University of 
California, confidently predicted 
that Silicon Valley “would stop 
growing because housing and 
labour were too expensive and 
the roads were too congested”. 
Nothing of the sort happened: in 
fact the largest wave of start-ups 
began soon after. Five years later. 
Business Week, “with even 
greaterauthority” announced that 
“Silicon Valley was going down 
the tubes” in the face of stiff 
Japanese competition. It didn’t; 
by the late 1980's, Silicon Valley 
was flourishing all over again. 
AnnaLee Saxenian’s lucid 
narrative on why Silicon Valley 
keeps growing, “when economic 
theory and even common sense” 
suggested that it had reached its 
limit was one of the highlights of 
the Global Village seminar. 
“Traditional business models”, 
Saxenian discovered, “cannot 
explain Silicon Valley’s success”, 
and after hundreds of interviews 
with technology executives, she 
concluded that “Silicon Valley had 
pioneered a new business model 
built around a network system”. In 
this decentralized industrial system, 
production is organised by networks 
of specialised firms "which compete 
intensely even while collaborating 
in formal and informal ways”. 
Relationships matter in this network 
system with the “rich social, 
technical and productive 
relationships fostering entre-
preneurship, experimentation and 
collective learning”. 
For the most part, Saxenian’s 
lecture contrasted the performance 
of Silicon Valley (SV) with its leading 
domestic competitor: Boston’s 
Route 128 region “on which one 
would have been well-advised to 
place one’s bets even in the 1970’s”. 
Route 128 lost out because it was 
a “collection of independent firms 
ratherthan a regional network” (one 
liked Saxenian’s analogy com-
paring Route 128 to a ‘plantation’ 
while Silicon Valley was like a 
‘rainforest’ with “continually 
diversifying mix of species, flora 
and fauna that spontaneously and 
repeatedly cross-pollinate”). The 
four essential differences 
between the two models were: 
(a) labour market behaviour and 
attitudes toward risk taking (in SV 
the loyalty is to technologies and 
region: nottothecorporate ladder: 
and failures are seen as 
technological experiences, not 
social setbacks); (b) rich social 
and professional networks 
(gossip sessions in SV offer 
tremendous opportunities to 
share technical experiences and 
maintain relationships: Califor-
nia’s outstanding universities are 
active collaborators): (c) decen-
tralized industrial infrastructure 
(which promote specialisation, 
collaboration and quick respons-
es to technology shifts) and (d) 
very different supplier infrastruc-
tures (in SVsuppliesare externali-
sed- e.g., from Taiwan - and not 
internalised within firms). 
(continued overleaf) 


National Aerospace Laboratories

Singh, Seema

I 'M D t A 
Wide disparities between men and women in politics: report 
ieema Singh 
iANGALORE: Though India is a signato-
y to UN Convention on Elimination of 
Discrimination Against Women 
CEDAW), a report on political participa-
ion of women in India shows wide dispari-
ies between men and women in the politi-
al sphere. 
India ratified the international treaty in 
994, albeit with some reservations, and 
vas supposed to submit the country report 
vithin one year but has not done it till date, 
lie draft report, prepared by the Intema-
ional Women's Rights Action Watch 
IWR AW), is said to be lying with the ex-
srnal affairs ministry 
Besides CEDAW, India is also a sign to-
y to the Platform for Action, the outcome 
the fourth world co aference on women 
nd the Beijing Declaration 
Based primarily on secondary data, the 
report shows that from 1996 to 1998 parlia-
mentary elections, the percentage of 
women's piirticipation h.»s gon up by just 
one per cent — from 7 to 8 pet cent. Based 
on statistics and over 45 case s tudies from 
all parts ot the country, the report says that 
there exists disparity by law and disadvan-
tage by gender everywhere. 
National Institute of Advanced Studies 
(NIAS) coordinator for the project 
Ashima Chopra says, "A good case is the 
Panchayati R*i elections in Karnataka. 
Most of the women stand as proxy for their 
male relatives. Further, the daily allowance 
of Rs 20, which women in gram panchayats 
get for attending meetings is far too less 
against the trouble they take in ravelling 
and managing domestic chores." 
"Our study has also highlighted that 
there has been no panchayati raj election 
in Bi tiar which is unconstitutional. We plan 
to go then: shortly and document the actu-
Thefindings 
*De facta female inequality remains 
•Lack of.corrective approach to tack-
ling female inequality 
•Caste, religion, cultural stereotype ob-
stacles 
•Double burden 
•Poor investment in female education 
on political rights/access 
•No provision of child care facilities 
and other support structures 
•Reduced impact of 74th amendment 
on female political participation 
•Failure to pass 84th Constitutional 
amendment in current session 
•Failure to present CEDAW report due 
in 1995 
•No mechanism for CEDAW reporting 
with NGO involvement 
al condition of women," Ms Chopra said. 
Since the IWRAW project aims at identi-
fying country-specific issues, other coun-
tries in the Asia Pacific region have taken 
one issue but India, because of its sheer 
size, has taken up three issues — political 
rights of women; women in armed conflict 
situation with focus on North-east, Tamil 
Nadu and Punjab: rights of women in mar-
riage. 
A national workshop in March will fur-
ther consolidate the report before it is sub-
mitted to IWRAW. However, as a fallout of 
this, the Gender Studies Unit (GSU) at 
NIAS has undertaken a longitudinal study 
of women's political participation in the 
districts of Mysore, Bijapur and Dakshina 
Kannada. 
Aiming at finding what is impeding 
women's political involvement, Ms N. 
Shantha Mohan of GSU says, "Our previ-
ous studies in rural Karnataka have shown 
that there is a need for redefinition of ef-
fective political participation. Case studies 
have shown that often a woman seeks re-
sources for education, sanitation or other 
'softer' issues and a man for more visible is-
sues like roads or electricity. The outcome 
in terms of visibility is more in the latter 
case. Does it mean that women are less ef-
fective?" 
With the panchayat elections in Karnata-
ka scheduled in March, the GSU study in-
tends to explore both pre and post election 
scenario in the gram panchayats 
The baseline study facilitated by 
IWRAW, which will monitor the fulfilment 
of state obligations toward women's equal-
ity under CEDAW, will also make recom-
mendations -J CEDAW for effective par-
ticipation of women in Indian politics. It 
also aims to mobilise women in their advo-
cacy. 


Wide Disparities between Men and Women in Politics: Report

Vedantam, Vatsala

ionospherics and Wagner, 
cosmic rays and Coriolanus... 
AN EXPLOSION OF HAR-
MONY: Raja Ramanna now -
and then 
The scientific advisor to the defence ministry is immersed in the Chandogya Upan-
ishad. The man who conducted a 
nuclear explosion meditates on the 
philosophy of Adi Sankara. The 
Rajya Sabha member and one-
time minister of state for defence is 
right now wondering how a percus-
sion instrument can be improved. 
That is, when he's not preoccupied 
with Gandhian studies Or deliber-
ating with vainikas on the merits of 
the stringed instrument. Or plan-
ning how to sensitise computer 
professionals to the fine arts. 
That is Raja Ramanna — scien-
tist, musician, man of letters, 
Vedantic scholar and visionary. A 
formidable delegate at internation-
al fora. A caring boss who visits a 
retired secretary. An informal host 
AMAZING GRACE 
*>» Raja Ramanna 
who makes you feel at home even 
at the NIAS by conspiratorially 
telling you: "Today they have uddi-
na vada on the canteen menu." 
He muses on his eventful life, 
talking between mouthfuls of the 
cholesterol-loaded delicacy. He in-
terrupts himself only to say: "Have 
it with the chutney — it's simply 
delicious." 
Justice Nittoor Srinivasa Rao, 
who has known Raja Ramanna 
since his boyhood days, says he can 
never stop being amazed at jjis 
"many-sided interests". Recalling a 
convention held at the centre for 
theoretical studies at IISc some 
years ago, the former chief justice 
describes how he found Ramanna 
t working in candlelight at the of night at the guest house, atever are you doing?" he 
asked. Rammana said he was trans-
lating the epic poem Mukunda 
Mala into English. "I don't find the 
time during the day," he explained. 
"%tamanna's passion for classical 
music goes back to his childhood 
wh^n he watched his sister Bala-
mttni sing and play the piano. 
"~^en she died of typhoid at 21,1 
fnued where she left off," he 
He found in Mother Maurice 
: Good Shepherd Convent an 
. rstanding teacher. She was fol-
i by a Eurasian nun called Sis-
Vedanta Iyengar, the hero ol 
Pokhran will always remain the kid 
brother who smuggled in firecrack-
ers at festival time, to the dismay of 
his frugal parent. Having splurged 
Rs 5 on them, he would set a match 
to the lot and run for his life before 
they exploded! "That was the 
biggest sound he ever heard until 
1974! "he chuckles. 
Born in 1925 in Mysore State, 
Krishna Raja Ramanna belongs to 
the small community of Hebbar 
Shri Vaishnava Iyengars. His home 
milieu was Victorian England. His 
mother was brought up on Dicker 
and Scott. His father played tennis, 
billiards and bridge. Yet, in spite ui 
this "blatant Anglophilia", Raman 
na learnt to abhor British rule. 
As a young US journalist sail! 
"He has an informed sense ol 
anger against foreign rule. Yet he 
names his autobiography after a 
passim from Listz! Quite a guy!" 
Vatsala Vedarrtam 
ter Agnes. But it was the very Vic-
torian Margaret Moffat who kin-
dled a nine-year-old Ramanna's in-
terest in Beethoven, Mozart and 
Chopin, even as she taught him 
how to handle a knife and fork! 
Ramanna recalls how these last 
two teachers, with their missionary 
zeal, escorted him to church ser-
vices where the only thing that im-
pressed him was the organ on 
which Bach was played. 
He was studying at the Bishop 
Cotton School in Bangalore when 
news of his musical skills reached 
royal ears. The then Maharaja of 
Mysore, Krishna Raja Wodeyar, in-
vited him to become a member of 
the palace orchestra. "I was paid a 
princely sum of Rs 200 for each 
performance," laughs Ramanna. 
He was awarded an overseas schol-
arship which lapsed for lack of sup-
porting funds from the State exche-
quer. But the loss to music proved a 
gain for science. The young student 
who graduated from the Madras 
Christian College in 1945, did go to 
England. Although not through the 
efforts of his piano mentor Alfred 
Mistowsky. His guru now was 
Homi Bhabha. Instead of the Trini-
ty College of Music, he enrolled at 
the King's College in London. In-
stead of Beethoven and Chopin, it 
was now nuclear reactions and fis-
sion fragments. In the midst of spo-
radic efforts at piano practice in 
hired rooms in post-war London, 
Ramanna obtained his doctoral de-
gree in 1948 and returned to an in-
dependent India. The rest is history. 
Recalling their decades-old asso-
ciation through shared musical in-
terests, Dr Alfred Mascarenhas of 
the St John's Medical Centre says: 
"Ramanna is an accomplished clas-
sical pianist who can execute the 
most difficult compositions with in-
credible ease. Yet, when a six-year-
old requests him to play Mozart's 
Minuer, he obliges!" 
Former Chief of Naval Staff Ad-
miral Dawson is the other music 
buff who can hardly conceal his ad-
miration for this "formidable pi-
anist". However, for octogenarian 


National Institute of Advanced Studies

Not a member yet

Fathers of the Bomb

Area-specific Use of Science and Technology Stressed

National Aerospace Laboratories

Wide Disparities between Men and Women in Politics: Report

Honospherics and Wagner, Cosmic Rays and Coriolanus...: Raja Ramanna now and then

1,385

2,835